Before 2013, the thought of old-soul R&B music returning sounded so cheesy and unbelievable. But since then, plenty of renowned artists have made ‘80s music cool and contemporary.

One of the most anticipated album releases this year has been Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic.

Mars both honors and re-imagines the past as he attempts to bring back disco with an urban Michael Jackson vibe, but it’s not the first time he’s done so.

In fact, this seems to have become the singer-songwriter’s trademark, and since it keeps working so well, he’s unlikely to stop anytime soon.

“Perm,” which jolts back to the ’60s, with its shout-singing and James Brown-indebted horn stabs and drums. Here, Mars trades his tender crooning for a scraped-up vocal, as if sheer lust were rendering him hoarse.  When he comes closer to the present day, or at least to the music he was raised on, Mars sounds most at home. Take the pairing of “Versace on the Floor” and “Finesse,” a one-two punch of mid-to-late ’80s R&B evolution.

Alicia Keys dropped her sixth album, “Here,” this year, and the Grammy-winning pianist returned with political, social, and emotional honesty that gave her audience a collective piece of art, rather than a circus act of in cohesive singles. Her jazz and contemporary piano playing rarely falter as she shows a more honest and socially conscious side.  She’s taking part in a silent movement among current artists that are going against the grain of overproduced, sugarcoated pop songs.

Her album also soars because the music feels looser and more youthful than her usual radio-devouring ballads. “The Gospel” and “Pawn It All” wed soulful melodies to old-school hip-hop beats, and
“Work On It” is a classic-sounding soul ballad with a surprisingly restrained chorus.

In junction with current artists bringing back an older era, Leon Bridges introduces a classic mid-century soul sound, the kinds of music Sam Cooke and Otis Redding helped make popular decades ago.  His lyrics are heartfelt and clearly audible, unlike most of what is heard on the radio.

His voice is unexpected coming from a 26-year-old, and it evokes an alternately soothing and urgent sound of someone who has lived through multiple decades.

Another soulful artist to pay attention to is Charles Bradley.  He sings mostly about love: searching for it, being wronged by it, and basking in it.

This old school R&B is definitely a moment that shows no sign of slowing down.